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Sunday, May 6, 2012

On Guard

"Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?"

My next door neighbor called on Friday. She told me that she was on her way home, when she saw something slithering across the street. To avoid hitting it, she swerved and turned into her driveway. It was a nasty, legless snake (yes, I'm aware all snakes are legless). Then she got worried about my boys, so she called to let me know that the snake was headed into either my yard or hers. She said it was a big one.

Great. Why couldn't she have just run over the horrible creature? I think that counts as self defense.

I hate snakes. I don't have a phobia or anything, but I really can't stand them. I am fully aware they help with the rat and mouse population, but I don't trust them. I always check the toilet to make sure there are no snakes waiting for an unsuspecting victim to attack. Didn't that happen in Rikki Tikki Tavi? A snake was in the bathroom or coming out of a toilet or something... or did I just make that up?

I told the boys that there may be a large snake somewhere in our yard and to keep their eyes peeled. Now Josh is afraid to go into the garage, and Jason is afraid to go out into the yard.

You don't have to be afraid and alter your whole life, I told them. You just need to be aware of your surroundings. Then Patrick told them that the snake would likely be more afraid of them than they were of it. (Maybe.)

This whole incident got me thinking about Satan and his snake-like ways. He wants to scare us and get us to live out of fear. But I want to be alert and wise to his devious ways. I don't want to be afraid to step out in faith or afraid to live the life God has called me to live.

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

He needs to flee, because my God has the power to squish his venomous little head. I have the power in Christ to cast aside fear, and to live out of love. I can stand up to Satan and anything he is trying to steal, kill, or destroy, so he better run.

And if he doesn't, I have a van, and I'm not afraid to use it.

(Update: The guy up the street says it's a 4 foot garter snake and that he sees it all over the neighborhood while he is walking his dogs. Hmmm.... I feel so much better now.)

5 comments:

Yikes! I can't stand SNAKES either! I remember when I was little girl, I had gone out to the barn to water the horses, and as I was getting the hose to turn the water on, I looked down as saw the biggest snake I had ever seen in my life, stick it's tongue out at me. I screamed so loud, my dad heard me all the way at the house, and came running out. My dad said the snake must of just eaten, that is why he didn't try to get me. I was so scared, it was a good month before I went back into the barn. I can't stand snakes, spiders or mice! Hope all is well on your end!